The Exercise Ends, Four Years' Gains

Qi Luna, Hayama, and Nonou formed a triangle, surrounding Sakumo. Their gazes were vigilant yet resolute; they knew full well that the White Fang of the Leaf before them possessed unfathomable strength, but due to the constraints of the training ground, they had little room to retreat.

Qi Luna initiated the assault, his kunai flashing with a cold glint as he charged toward Sakumo like a phantom. Hayama and Nonou flanked from both sides at the same moment, attempting to scatter Sakumo's focus.

However, Sakumo moved with the agility of a swallow, weaving effortlessly between their attacks. The short blade in his hand traced sharp, lethal arcs, dismantling their offensive one by one.

Qi Luna gritted his teeth and accelerated his rhythm, sending a rain of shuriken toward Sakumo. Hayama seized the opening to unleash a Wind Style jutsu, hoping to disrupt Sakumo's movements, while Nonou stood by, searching for the perfect moment to strike.

Yet, Sakumo seemed to have already foreseen every step of their plan. He skillfully evaded the shuriken and easily dodged the interference of the gale. His silver-gray hair swayed with the air currents, but his eyes remained calm and sharp, each movement precisely neutralizing the trio's attacks.

Though the three worked in concert with tacit understanding, Sakumo stood like an immovable mountain. Their attacks were nothing more than waves crashing against a reef, proving entirely futile.

As time passed, the three began to tire. Their ninja tools were nearly exhausted, and their breathing grew ragged.

Sakumo, meanwhile, remained composed, showing not a hint of fatigue.

He looked at the three tenacious youths before him and nodded slightly, seemingly appreciative of their courage.

Sakumo then sheathed the White Fang behind his back.

"The exercise ends here."

At these words, the taut nerves of Qi Luna and his teammates finally relaxed, and they collapsed onto the ground in an instant.

Watching the exhausted trio, Hatake Sakumo offered a gentle smile before beginning to summarize the exercise.

"You all did quite well. While your coordination wasn't exactly seamless, it was commendable for a first attempt."

Qi Luna forced himself to sit up, listening intently.

"However, you were too eager in your attacks, failed to fully utilize the surrounding environment, and your predictions of my movements were not accurate enough," Sakumo analyzed patiently.

Hayama scratched his head, looking embarrassed. "Teacher, we just wanted to show our full strength."

Indeed, in Qi Luna's view, it was impossible for three newly graduated genin to defeat a jonin in an open area with almost no cover. Therefore, the goal Qi Luna had set for them from the start was to show Hatake Sakumo everything they had, regardless of their strengths or weaknesses.

Sakumo nodded. "Showing your strength is good, but you must also learn to be flexible in actual combat. The situation on the battlefield changes in an instant; you cannot rely solely on brute force."

Nonou sat up straight and asked humbly, "Teacher, how can we improve our judgment?"

Sakumo pondered for a moment before replying, "During regular training, observe your opponent's habitual movements and attack patterns to gather information and accumulate experience."

"For instance, in the exercise just now, you could have paid attention to my shifts in positioning and the timing of my strikes."

"Furthermore, communication within a team is vital. You must exchange information in a timely manner to make better judgments."

Sakumo smiled. "Combat isn't just about hot-blooded passion; it requires calmness and wisdom. Take Qi Luna's shuriken attack—if you had combined it with Hayama's Wind Style, it might have been far more effective."

Qi Luna fell into deep thought, feeling that he had indeed fallen short in that regard.

Hayama's eyes lit up, and he nodded thoughtfully.

Sakumo continued, "Actually, I already had some understanding of your information before the teams were assigned."

"Through this exercise, I've discovered that Qi Luna's Water Style, Hayama's Wind Style combined with swordsmanship, and Nonou's Chakra Scalpel are all quite proficient. You all possess the strength of chunin, and Qi Luna's power is even approaching that of a jonin. In terms of chakra volume alone, you exceed many jonin—truly worthy of the Uzumaki clan."

"In the coming days, outside of our missions, I will conduct special training to address your weaknesses. I believe that after some time, your strength will improve significantly."

Upon hearing this, the trio's eyes ignited with fighting spirit; they knew this was a prime opportunity to improve themselves. They stood up and bowed solemnly to Sakumo. "Teacher, we will definitely work hard!"

The three nodded, taking these words to heart.

"Alright, that's all for today. Go back and get some rest. Meet at the village gate tomorrow; I will take you on the first mission of your ninja careers," Sakumo encouraged.

Qi Luna and his teammates stood up, responding with high spirits, "Yes, Teacher!"

With their gains in hand, they walked away from the academy with firm, steady steps.

On the way home, as they neared the Senju compound, Qi Luna ran into Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato, who were also heading toward the Senju compound after finishing their own team placement tests.

"Oi, you guys are done too?" Qi Luna greeted them enthusiastically.

Uzumaki Kushina put her hands on her hips, looking triumphant. "Of course! You know how strong I am, right? Grabbing a bell or something like that is just a piece of cake~"

Namikaze Minato smiled and nodded from the side, though his smile held a hint of awkwardness—it seemed the test hadn't gone quite as smoothly as Kushina claimed.

Qi Luna guessed as much, but he didn't press the issue. He threw an arm around Minato's shoulder and whispered, "We just finished our exercise with Sakumo-sensei too. He said my strength is already approaching that of a jonin. Minato, as the strongest in our year below me, don't fall too far behind, okay~"

Uzumaki Kushina's eyes lit up, and she tugged on Qi Luna's sleeve. "Tell us, how did the exercise go?"

Qi Luna recounted the process vividly, and everyone listened with great interest.

At this point, Namikaze Minato spoke up, "Our teacher also said they would give us special training to improve our strength for missions."

Qi Luna said excitedly, "Our teacher said the same thing. We're going on our first mission tomorrow." The group chatted back and forth, discussing their future paths as ninjas.

Before they knew it, they arrived at the entrance of the Senju compound. After promising to work hard together and exchanging brief farewells, Minato headed off toward his own home.

That night, back in his room, Qi Luna began to reflect on what he had seen and gained in the four years since arriving in Konoha.

He remembered how, when he first arrived, everything felt alien to him.

Even though he shared the same Uzumaki heritage as the village's current strongest, Uzumaki Mito, and had worked hard to integrate into Konoha—befriending Akimichi Yoshimaru and others, and becoming close friends with the father of the future child of prophecy, the man netizens called the "perfect ninja," Namikaze Minato—he still felt a sense of detachment.

After returning home, he trained diligently. Through the water-style training notes left behind by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, he had mastered most of the techniques recorded within. Under the guidance of Grandma Mito, he had even awakened the Uzumaki clan's bloodline limits: the Kagura Mind's Eye and the Adamantine Sealing Chains!

Yet, he always felt his soul was out of place in this world.

It wasn't until today, during Sakumo-sensei's exercise, when he felt that near-death terror, that he finally woke up. Although he had hidden most of his strength, he clearly recognized his own naivety.

"Ah, this is a world where the strong prey on the weak, a messed-up world. No wonder Obito wanted to create a world of illusions in the future. Those people who say the Ninja World is still 'active'—if they came here, they'd probably be the first to kick the bucket..."

Qi Luna clenched his fists. "But I won't run away like him. Since I've come to this world, I have to do my best to change it!"

"If the Ninja World was a mess before I arrived, and it's still a mess after I arrive, wouldn't my coming here have been for nothing?"